Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1887-01-13
A SCRAP OF HISTORY.

In his speech at Cooper Union, Oct.
%, Mr.. Hewitt, then candidate for
mayor, now mayor. elect, gave sketch
| of his life as an answer to some attacks
made upon him as a rich man. In
the course of these remarks he said :
Il became nearly blind and was COM
PEELED to pass a year in Europe, for
which paid out of the earnings which
l had laid up from the lessons l had
given. On my way home another ac-
cdent occurred-the ship on which l
was went 20 the bottom, and l was
saved by another accident in one of the
boots of that ship in ccmpany with a
man who has been mayor of this city,
who was and is my friend and brother,
and will be to the end of my life. |
landed in midwinter in borrowed suit
of sailors clothes not thing of my
own-and | had three silver dollars in
my pocket, which constituted my en-
tire worldly wealth. was - years of
age
Let the cIptain Of The rcscung ship
tell the story is he did few years
ago to little circle of friends in a
New York club :
In 1914 was commanding the ship
Atalanta, and in the month of Deem
ber of that year was making voyage
from Liverpool to New York. On the
llth was crossing the gulf stream,
and got well over it. when, near even
ing, l saw ship under full sail sever
al miles to the windward and evidently
heading for New York like myself.
My Barometer had been falling rapidly,
and as always regarded it with great
care and obeyed its orders. l took
warning AID shortened sail. But |
noticed that the stranger kept every
thing spread, aud when night came on
anu hid her fl ON sight she was far off
on the horizon, and didn't appear to
have taken IN a stitch Of canvas. Dur
ing the night it came on to blow heavi-
ly, regular cyclone, IN fact and you
may be sure L was glad had taken in
sail. 1t only lasted couple of hours
or so, but was very rough as long as it
was on us.
About in the forenoon the watch
reported pieces of wreck floating on
the water, and an hour later we sight
ed a beat. and bore down for her. 1t
was as l had feared, the stranger had
foundered in the gale, and this was one
| of her boats.
She proved to be, or have been, the
American ship Albanian, Capt. Hitch
cock, from Leghorn to New York, and
besides her officers and crew, she had
two passengers in the cabin. She was
under full sail when the wind struck
| her, and i'll Il very short time she was
an uIseaWorthy wreck. She had two
boats, one staunch lifeO0at, and the
other an old and rotten longOJat. Lots
were drawn for places, and the .ifeboaC
fell TO he frs, officer, while the long
boat went tv the captain. The two
cabin passengers went TO the loagboat
and also nine of the crew. 1t was the
lifeboat that l picked up, with the first
officer in command and he said they left
the ship at In the morning, and lost
sight Of the longboat soon after She
was nearer the ship than they, as the
captain had been the last to leave her
The weather was cold, and they suf-
fered considerably from their cramped
positions, but in little while after
coming on board they were warmed up
and all right. Nothing could bt
seen of the longboat, and it was not
certain whether she WAS still af1oat.
determined to saye her if possible to III
it, and the great question was to de
termine what course to steer to hnt
her. | reasoned that Capt. Rltchc0cl
would try to get out Of the gulf stIean